Sensei Paul Ortino stopped my my office this morning. Tonight, he and his family will leave Hawaii bound for Florida. Ortino Sensei has been here in Hawaii for over 25 years, was the head of the Hawaii Karate Congress and a founding member of the Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai. Since I joined the Kodanshakai last year, all of our training sessions have been at Ortino Sensei's dojo at Catlin Park, near the airport. He and his wife, Daisy, have always been very gracious hosts.

This year Ortino Sensei became a father and a grandfather.

Hawaii is not really losing a great sensei, because he will be coming back as often as he can. But the mainland is definitely gaining a great sensei. If you live in the Naples, Florida, area, I urge you to look him up once he is settled in. If he teaches a seminar in your area, please be sure to attend.

Ortino Sensei's principal instructor was Seikichi Odo. But I know that he also learned a lot from the many sensei here in Hawaii that he called friends.

Good luck to Ortino Sensei and his family as they begin a new chapter in their lives. I also want to thank Ortino Sensei for his support of the Hawaii Karate Museum.

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"Karate Jutsu" means "China Hand art". Karate came to Okinawa from China.
Only in the 1930s or so, was the term "Karate" changed to mean "Empty Hand".
"China Hand" was used in Hawaii until after World War II, and is still used in some dojo.